Today I Quit My Job

“It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters,” ― Amit Ray

I look away from the screen to my grey cube walls to ponder that quote. Somehow selling Business Intelligence & Analytics applications to Fortune 100 companies and radiating the lives of IT staff with our “robust” technology does not seem compelling enough.

Today I am putting in my 2 weeks notice.

Thinking back, when I came out of college I had little direction as to what I wanted to do. After 4 years of studying, I did not find my life’s work –surprise! All I wanted was to travel, to do something creative, or to create my own company before 30 –pretty standard for a liberal arts student. In my senior year finding a job was one in itself. At that point the option was for me to come up with a creative outlet or startup that will both be my passion and bread maker versus finding a job that will pay the bills right away. It was too late for the former. I chose the latter.

In my 2 years in technology sales, it has been hard not to be caught up with the daily grind, the routine, the busyness. Earlier this year, I was looking into other sales roles –essentially abandoning my own beliefs and goals.

The inspirational quotes, blogs, and books I read seemed like old unrecognizable puzzle pieces that look pretty, but no longer fit together. Where is the answer in my situation!? Where is the city-dwelling, corporate slaving, college educated, socially conscious, super average 24 year old who can write me a practical how-to book that I can relate to? One on how to travel, find purpose, and do what I am passionate about, without committing financial, career, and social suicide??

Meg Jay called the 20s the Defining Decade in her book. Personally, whatever age you are now will probably be your most defining time to come. The younger you are, the more malleable you are, and the earlier you mold into your better self, the more time you spend with it. When that realization came about, I decided to take this journey and write that how-to I couldn’t find.

To do so, I want to further understand the psychological forces that underlie today’s human behavior, feelings, and emotions; to see how those forces co-mingle with today’s trends, technology, and social behavior; to bridge the gaps between today’s inspiration and action.

This way I can shape my own life to live artFULLY, and craft the field guide of a realistic look at “dropping everything to pursue / find your passion”.

Sword Lake

Right now, I have eliminated all extraneous expenses, moved out of my overpriced San Francisco apartment, and will soon be living out of my car on the open road. I have a complete overhaul of my habits and my concept of productivity and time. It’s been a roller coaster ride –updates to come later.